The Beach at the End of the World
by Arami Heartilly
Summary: In her dreams it's not the end of the world that bothers her, it's the fact that Riku is never there with them when it happens. Sora/Kairi/Riku Sorikai
1. The Beach at the End of the World

Disclaimer: I don't own Kingdom hearts, it's the property of square Enix and Disney. No money has or will exchange hands as this story was purely written for entertainment value. Original characters, worlds and storylines do belong to me.

Author note: I didn't intent for this to turn out like it did at all, the direction it took kind of happened naturally. I've also never written something in this tense so it's different from my normal work. If you're not a fan of Sora/Riku/Kairi then you can might be able to ignore some of the intention behind this, or click the back button.

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The Beach at the End of the World

By Arami Heartilly

"In my dreams I see the Islands destroyed over and over again. It's not the same as before, we're older, it's happening _now._" Kairi sighs, she's looking at the young man in front of her. "It's not your fault this time, it never really was… but every time it comes you're never here."

He only looks at her, doesn't move, doesn't speak. Wouldn't know what to say anyway.

"It's not right and it's not fair. The disaster comes and me and Sora are stood here waiting, the ship is here for us but you've always disappeared… you never come. We don't always board it, sometimes we wait on the beach for you and let the end come. But it doesn't matter how warm Sora's hand is in mine, doesn't matter how strong and firm his arms are as he holds me whilst the land falls away or the waves crash down…. It's never enough Riku." The last part slips out in a whisper and she finds that she can't face him, doesn't want to look up and see an empty beach.

"It's just a dream." He tells her gently, almost chiding her but Kairi's had enough of this from him, always falling back, always acting as though he doesn't think he's really wanted, always looking to run away at the nearest opportunity.

"No, I really don't think it is." She sighs and runs her hands through her hair. "It's almost the same as it was at the Castle." She doesn't need to say which one, he knows exactly what she means. "You thought we were some how better off without you, you think you're full of so much darkness that you refuse to let us anywhere near you."

"Come on Kairi, we see each other all the time." He's trying his best to make light of it but all it does is upset her further. They don't see each other in the way they used to, he always makes excuses to leave early or more recently cancels at short notice.

"Is there anything more to tell us? have you left anything out?"

"You know everything."

"Then why won't you let us in?"

Kairi meets his eyes and she see's the way he's trying to hide things from her, putting up all the walls he can manage.

"Why do you find the idea of being with us so hard to accept?" Kairi asks him. Her eyes are wide and honest, violet in the light and it hurts to look. It hurts in ways he can't seem to fully understand.

"I don't." She tips her head to the left, studying him and wondering how it can hurt so much. She understands now why Sora had chosen not to come with her. He didn't want to face up to it anymore than Riku did.

"Then what?"

Once again he chose not to say anything. The wind blows past them every now and again and the waves make their way towards them, lapping at the sand in their way.

"Every time it seems to hurt worst than the last. My throat dries up and it hurts here, like someone is pressing from the inside out, never easing and I can't breathe, I can't relax…. I can't even cry because I can't reason with it." She can feel it building again and her right hand had balled into a fist over her heart. "I remember how it felt when I lost my heart, I remember the darkness that swept over everything." He's stepped towards her and it's obvious he's trying to work out what to do. "I watched Sora when the worlds separated and I cried here on this beach wondering when he'd return, but knowing - always knowing he would never come home without you."

"Kairi…"

She shakes her head, she doesn't want him to interrupt this. "I can't keep doing his Riku, you can't keep running away. I don't know how to explain what it feels like any better than I have but to be abandoned by you crushes everything inside of me in a way I… I… I thought I knew what heartache felt like, sat in that cell Saix locked me in but this actually _aches_ - like there's something really wrong with my heart._"_ She pauses and he wonders how close to crying she is, the idea that she's already past that point doesn't occur to him. "Are you afraid to stay with us? Are you waiting for us to turn around and push you away? Or can you just not stand to be around us?"

"Kairi…"

"I can't stand the thought of loosing you and seeing you do that every night and knowing that one day you really might get up and leave us…. I would do anything to have you stay with me - with us. I love you more than anything else, you and Sora are everything to me so why you'd be so eager to leave those who need you... the only thing I can imagine is you don't want me." This was why Sora had chosen to stay at home, this feeling was the same as the ones that haunted her dreams. Realising that a person you love can't accept you enough to be with you and hoping against hope that you're wrong all at the same time.

"How could you think I don't love you?" He says finally, eyes to the sand and hands in his pockets. He's talking quietly but Kairi hears every word.

She's holding herself back from slapping him all the way across the face. When they were smaller everything was so much simpler. Kairi had no way of knowing that the love you feel for a friend was just as strong as that for a lover…. or maybe it wasn't. Maybe the three of them were the exception.

"Does it really?" _Hurt that much? _The look on her face is enough to make him stop mid sentence. Her hand is still clenched against her chest and he knows she may as well be bleeding with the pressure she's applying. "But you two belong with each other." He's getting more and more confused by all of this, he had no idea. He's reaching out his arm and placing it on her shoulder but the too light touch makes Kairi bite her lip so hard he wonders if she'll break the skin.

"Not without you." She sounds so forlorn, so empty that he feels his heart start to break. "It's never been right without you too."

His eyes are wide in shock and for a second he can't decide what to do, the realisation of the pain he's caused is almost too much for him and he almost falters, almost. He's sure if he had come to this by himself he would have chosen a different response.

Then, as his mind finally starts to clear and everything falls into place he places his other hand on her other shoulder before sliding his arms around her and pulling her tight against him. He doesn't notice how she trips in the sand with the unexpected movement, she wouldn't have fallen very far if she had anyway.

"Of course I love you!" He tells her, speaking into her hair because it's a better alternative than releasing her which he doesn't think he could do at the moment. "That's why I… I didn't realise Kairi, I didn't know… I honestly thought you hadn't noticed." She shakes her head against his chest and wriggles her arms free so that she can wrap them around him in turn. "I just wanted to give you some space, some time together." He sighs. "You're right about me though… I'm never going to think I'm good enough to be around either of you, even if you forgive me I don't know if I can every completely forgive myself." They're still for a while, just holding each other, Kairi finally able to relax and feel her heart settle and Riku feeling as though another of the many weights he feels upon him lifting. "Kairi." He loosens his hold just a little so he can look at her, he wants to know she's alright.

She shifts again but looks up at him, eyes showing signs of recovery and some of the light he's so used to seeing has returned.

"I love you and Sora more than anything in all the worlds, I have to live knowing what I put you both through…" She was scowling, she didn't like the way he took all of the blame upon himself all the time. "I don't understand…. but I'm here and I promise you I'm not going anywhere without you." He meant them collectively and Kairi knew without having to ask.

She could tell he was terrified, most likely of hurting them but Kairi was certain the message had gotten through, no matter what his feeling on the matter were he could only truly hurt her if he left or disappeared.

The waves had finally reached them, soaking Kairi's pink canvas shoes with ease and seeping slowly into Riku's trainers.

"We should go." he tells her, releasing her but still standing close, not bothering to move from the near inch of water they're standing in.

She nods slowly, brushing red hair behind her ear again before reaching out and taking his hand, winding her fingers securely through his like she's not quite ready to let go of him until she's certain.

Riku wants to tell her that he's not sure she should be doing that but he doesn't, they all used to do it all the time as children. Before boys became self conscious and refused to hold another hand… or maybe that had just been him.

They walk slowly to the small dock and their boats, noticing as they approach a familiar figure sat on the end of the dock, legs crossed and looking at them as they get closer. Riku tries to release his hand from Kairi's like he thinks he' supposed to but she holds on tighter turning her head and smiling up at him, letting him know this is okay.

Sora stands and brushes crumbs from his pants that were never there in the first place and his smile is almost beaming as they approach him. He's glad he decided to come after all but knowing all the same that Kairi was better at reaching Riku when it came to this. Sora would have, most likely broken down into floods of uncontrollable tears and made everything worse. Kairi was better at knowing what to say and how to say it, when she eventually talked herself up to it.

Kairi finally lets go of Riku's hand when Sora is right in front of them with just enough time for a slightly more enthusiastic than necessary hug. Shock falls over Riku's face for just a moment before he places his arms around the other boys shoulder and holds him almost as tightly as he held Kairi. He can't seem to breathe though… Sora is crushing his lungs with the full force of the hug but he can bare it for now.

"I love you too Sora." Riku finally tells him and feels the arms loosen and breath return to his lungs. The other boy looks as though he's on the verge of tears for a moment but blinks hard and when he opens his eyes he smiles.

They make their way into the boats, Kairi in hers and Sora sharing his with Riku. The ride to the main land is short and quiet, none of them can think of anything to say.

There is an awkward moment when they reach the other side and tie up their boats. None are sure what they should do next or where to go. Kairi decides to reach out her hands to both boys, knowing that Riku isn't quite comfortable enough to hold Sora's hand instead of her own.

"My house is empty for the weekend." She tells them both. Riku smiles at her, not overtly just small enough that she can see it.

"Sleepover?" Sora asks, swinging his and Kairi's arms in the air and the three of them start walking up towards the town.

She nods and they both, somewhat awkwardly given they're walking, look to Riku for his answer.

"Alright, but Sora's not allowed to pick the movies." Kairi smiles and Sora scowls at the comment. Riku laughing most of the way to Kairi's house at the expression on each of their faces.

Later, when his two best friends were asleep on each side of him, blankets and cushions piled up underneath them and a large duvet draped over them, Riku couldn't help but wonder what exactly Kairi had meant earlier. How deeply did she and Sora want him involved in their relationship?

As if giving him a clue he felt an arm make it's way across his chest as Kairi pulled herself towards him and snuggled against his chest. He couldn't quite make himself remove the arm or push Sora away when he started to nuzzle his shoulder. In fact all he really managed was to put his arms around them both and settle down to a peaceful slumber.

* * *

On a beach three figures sat. Two boys with brown and silver hair and a girl with red hair shining in the sunlight. They were waiting for the end of the world sat hand in hand along the sandy shore and despite the disaster they faced they'd never felt so content or so at peace.

Fin

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As always reviews and constructive criticism are welcome, especially considering this is a pretty new thing for me to write. Thank you!


	2. Destiny's Embrace

Disclaimer: I don't own Kingdom hearts, it's the property of square Enix and Disney. No money has or will exchange hands as this story was purely written for entertainment value. Original characters, worlds and storylines do belong to me.

Author Note: Thank you so much to all those who reviewed the first chapter, I wasn't expecting any reviews and those I received were lovely. I will say now that I had no idea I would continue this but I think it will be staying as a two parter, it feels finished now whereas before I think it felt almost but not quite there. It is very much still Sora/Riku/Kairi and there are once again things I've never attempted to write about before.

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Destiny's Embrace

Kairi drifts slowly into a warm and comfortable consciousness, the steady rhythm just underneath her ear telling her that she is lying against someone, their arm curled around her back and holding her close. She smiles as she feels a hand holding hers, the angle and the feel of the smooth skin telling her still drowsy mind that it belongs to a different person than she's curled up against and she smiles again, eyes still closed but not finding any reason to open them just yet.

She falls back into a comfortable doze instead, content to enjoy this precious warmth, it hasn't been like this since they were much younger. They used to spend Saturday mornings on the play Island curled up this way. Kairi would sometime have nightmares of the fall of a world she couldn't remember and Riku would bring her into his arms in the middle of the night, Sora joining in behind her to make her feel safe. Riku may have been quiet and short with her sometimes but even then Kairi had known it was only because he didn't know how to express himself, he was always the first one to wake those nights and always held her without question.

It seemed pretty apt that another of her nightmares had brought them together, only this time Riku was the one in the middle and Kairi was fast admitting to herself that she preferred it this way.

"Kairi." Sora whispers, finally tempting her violet eyes open.

"Yeah?" He's wearing a beaming smile on his face and he shifts just a little closer so they're lying facing each other against Riku's chest. His heart rhythm stays steady so they're both pretty sure he's asleep.

"Riku is lying on my other arm, I can't feel it anymore." Sora's grumbles make Kairi giggle and she presses her head closer to Riku's chest to muffle her laughter. She's beginning to wonder whether or not he's listening in to them and has practiced silence and stillness in his travels. "It's not that funny Kairi." But his fake hurt expression only continues to make her smile.

"I did tell you last night that Riku is heavier than me." She squeezes Sora's hand in reassurance and feels muscles beneath them twitch. "I'm going to head for the shower first, if you guys really can't wait you can use the one in the guest room and the main house bathroom."

"We know Kairi, we've been here before." Sora releases her hand, moving his and brushes away the strand of hair that fell in front of her face. Kairi closes her eyes again breathing out before she gently covers Sora's hand with hers.

"You should probably stay until Riku wakes up properly." Kairi shifts her head and places a kiss into Sora's palm, she marvels at the roughness of his fingers and smooth skin of his palm and although she's aware his gloves are the reason why it still fascinates her.

Kairi slides carefully underneath Riku's firm hold. She doesn't bother to pull down her nightdress when it rides up in the process - it isn't anything either boy hasn't seen before. She finds that for the first time since they settled down to sleep she can see Riku's face. Kneeling at his side Kairi smiles, lacing her fingers once again with Sora's as she bends to place a kiss against Riku's lips.

Neither she nor Sora are surprised when he stirs and aquamarine flickers into view. _So he was asleep all this time._ It was a sign of trust as much as anything else.

"I'll be in the shower." She says leaning to kiss him once again and this time feeling his lips move against hers, brief although it is it puts a smile on her face as she stands and heads for the stairs to her bedroom.

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The first thing that Sora does is to move, starting to slide his left arm out from underneath his best friend. He can tell that Riku is half awake because he arches his back slightly to help him, mumbling something or another that Sora is trying to understand but can't.

Sora flexes his fingers and grits his teeth against the pins and needles sweeping up and down his arm, he knows there is a faster way to get rid of it but at the same time he is very much aware that he shouldn't leave Riku and their makeshift bed.

So after a minute or two Sora scoots himself closer, smiling as his friend turns to be facing him. Sora places one arm around him and rests the other one carefully between them. Whether instinctual or not he feels a strong pair of arms hold him close and although it feels different compared to how Kairi holds him it's the good kind of different. He thinks though that it's better when all three of them are together - but then it always has been. Kairi was just a little bit better at figuring out exactly what to do to fix it.

Sora had felt terrible for weeks, worried that he had done something to hurt his best friend, unable to explain how or why it could hurt so much he'd confided in Kairi, who, with tears in her eyes had explained that it was because Sora _loved_ Riku just like she did - the same way they loved each other. Once she'd said it everything suddenly seemed clearer and Sora could remember falling to the ground with her and sitting on her bedroom floor crying and holding each other.

Kairi had been the one to suggest it, talking to him alone on the Play Island. He had spent half an hour pacing on the mainland dock before jumping in his boat and heading after them, sitting on the small pier he'd sat and waited, nervousness churning in his stomach and fear. In the same way as Kairi Sora didn't know how he would stand it if Riku had left them again.

Now though he's feeling a new kind of nervous. Riku's breathing is even, gently blowing his hair out and into place and Sora has to admit to himself how content he is lying against the slender chest in front of him. His fingers start to roam up and down Riku's side, following the line of the scar that cut across it, they tingle slightly but not at all unpleasantly and the warm feeling he's used to with Kairi is spreading through him.

"Morning Sora." Riku mumbles into his hair, clearly starting to get more of an idea of Kairi had meant yesterday. Her kissing him before heading to the shower had started to confirm it and now with Sora snuggled up against him Riku was _almost_ positive what this meant. It was more than a little daunting and everything he'd never thought would happen all at once. He was missing Kairi's warmth as he was sure Sora did too but this was the first time he'd really had to be alone with him.

"You awake properly now?" Sora asks him, craning his neck so he can look directly at him.

"Yeah, I've been drifting in and out for a while now, since Kairi headed to the shower." He's watching Sora carefully as he speaks, looking at his reaction. The brunette just smiles though and slides his arm around to the middle of Riku's back holding him closer. Maybe a little too close.

"Sora?" Riku sounds slightly breathless.

"Hmm?" Is Sora's only response and Riku is fighting not to release himself from his friends hold, there is something fragile about what's developing between them and he doesn't want something as silly and embarrassing as this to be a problem.

"Could you um…. you're a little too close Sora." The brunettes blue eyes meet his in confusion before realisation dawns and he loosens his hold, cheeks heating up. "Sorry… I've just woken up so… and with you and Kairi…"

"It's okay Riku." Sora is smiling again and nuzzles his chest just a little, careful to keep a safe distance further down. "Kairi said we can use the other bathrooms to shower if we want."

"Sounds like a good idea, the spare towels and things are still in the downstairs guest room right?" Riku asks, knowing the change in subject will distract Sora.

"Yes, There's some of my stuff in there as well, If Kairi's parents are here I have to sleep in there." Riku laughs into his hair.

"I think we should get up, if we don't Kairi will be on her own when she comes back down." Riku doesn't want that, he has a feeling they should all spend this weekend together for as much of it as possible.

"I'll head upstairs then." Sora loosens his hold, and slides just a little bit backwards. In turn Riku does the same but doesn't quite know what to do next. He half considers what it would be like to kiss him, now he has some small clue of how it felt with Kairi but that had been brief and almost a flash from a dream.

Sora feels the change in mood even before Riku meets his eyes with a very uncertain look in them. So Sora just smiles, not his beaming ear to ear smile but the soft one he uses sometimes, the one Riku has always thought was only for Kairi but now realises has probably been equally for him all this time.

Riku slides his left arm free and runs it all the way up Sora's side, his shoulder and finally brings it to rest on his cheek. He doesn't want to admit that despite his age and world experience that he has never really done this before and certainly not with another boy. He's thought about it, what it would feel like to kiss them both but there's a difference and a certainty in dreams that doesn't exist in reality. In his dreams there can be no rejection, there he can't get it wrong.

Sora's skin is soft and he's still smiling, waiting patiently for Riku. It's odd, Riku considers, he doesn't think he's ever seen him so calm and so still. So he carefully moves his head, tilting Sora's up slightly - angling so he doesn't bump his nose and slowly, a lot slower than Kairi had he moves. The brunette is holding his breath as Riku's lips line up with his and press down, noting somewhere in the back of his mind that Sora's lips are smooth and that he's pressing back.

It's a rush and it lasts longer because he doesn't know what else to do, just happy to be staying right where he is, half waiting for Sora to do something. _Anything._

The brunette moves just a little to breathe and he's smiling before moving very quickly back and taking Riku a little by surprise and kissing him again with just a little more pressure before he's gone again and smiling at him. A smile that reaches right to his eyes.

"I'll be down soon." He tells Riku, sliding out of the covers and out of his arms.

"Sure." Riku watches as Sora heads up the stairs, turning every few to look back at Riku and smile again. He can't be sure but he thinks he's blushing.

Riku moves quickly as soon as the other boy is out of sight and heads to the guest room, knowing he takes less time in the shower than Sora and wanting to be back before Kairi.

* * *

She moves down the stairs at a leisurely pace, choosing to wear a light white and pink flowery dress rather than her usual one, she knows Sora and Riku will be wearing similarly casual clothes. They never say anything but weekends like these are their downtime. They are no more than two minutes away from their usual clothes and their Keyblades are already with them. Kairi knows she can summon hers in an instant just as she has seen the boys do time and time again. Only her usual necklace, the one she knows she will never remove remains from her usual outfit.

The shower upstairs was still running but she couldn't hear the guest rooms. Which means which ever of the boys was in there would be out soon. Kairi considers making breakfast but can't really see much point in it, they can make pancakes later if they want - her parents had, as they always did, made sure the kitchen was well stocked.

She pads slowly across the plush carpet to the front room again, it's open plan at least to the staircase with the kitchen to the side and behind the staircase and the guest room off a corridor from the large room.

Kairi sits herself down on top of the duvet and cushions, noting that someone has straightened them out and it now looks like one large low set bed with the sofa behind as the headboard. She leans back and closes her eyes, letting the quiet and the peace wash over her.

"Morning." It's Riku who's walking towards her. She opens her eyes again smiling as he comes to stand by her and Kairi pats the duvet next to her. He doesn't comment but he does sit down, not thinking Kairi immediately leans her head on his shoulder, or at least the top of his arm, he is, after all taller than Sora. She notes that he's wearing a dark blue short sleeved shirt and light denim trousers that come down to just past his knees.

"Kairi." Riku manages to say after moments of silence in which he tried to put his thoughts from his time in the shower into words.

She shifts to look at him, the same knowing look in her eyes from yesterday and at once Riku knows that Kairi has simply been waiting for him to talk to her. She moves away from his shoulder and instead shifts to siting front of him, crossing her legs and prompting him to do the same. Kairi ends up with her knees almost touching his.

"Can I?" He asks, holding his hands out to hers and she nods, just a small smile on her lips but her hands reach for his and hold on tight, letting their joined hands bridge the gap between them. "I wanted to talk to Sora about this as well but I'm not really sure how to do it without saying the wrong thing…" His eyes are focussed on their hands and his slightly damp hair covers far more of his face than it normally does.

"It's fine Riku." He knows she's looking at him with the soft expression he's wanted to see directed at him just as much as Sora's special smile but despite the warmth spreading through him he still has no idea what is happening or more precisely _why_.

"I know what I think is happening, I know what I want to happen but I don't see how my distance made you both…" He takes a deep breath and continues, determined to get this at least to a level where Kairi has enough information to answer him. She has always been the one to make sense of him and Sora. "Want what I think you want, You and Sora, you both kissed me this morning, you let me hold you whilst we slept and you haven't done that for years and well, you took my hands and you're still holding them." He lifts his eyes to hers and she's looking a little more serious.

"Sora wanted you to just figure it out and for it to happen naturally, he says it's always worked better for us that way… he misses when we were younger the most. When we were ten he took me to one side and asked why he wasn't allowed to hold your hand anymore and why you shrugged him off every time he tried to hug you in public."

"It's better when adults aren't telling you to act or telling what you should do right?" He agrees, squeezing her hands in agreement and a little in apology.

"Yeah, but we all do stupid things as we grow up." There is an apology both ways this time - even though he doesn't think he deserves it he excepts it anyway but mostly because Kairi needs him to.

"I don't want ruin the atmosphere by talking about it but I need to know where I stand." He doesn't want to see things that aren't there, doesn't want to suspect them of anything, he's asking for a very different sort of permission than he has ever asked them before.

"We love you." Kairi tells him, eyes searching his out.

"Kairi…" He needs her to be more direct and she nods, she now has to agree with Sora, it would have been easier if he had just figured it out himself - if they all had because saying it makes her face heat up and wish that Sora was back from his shower and here to help her… she even wonders if he's delaying on purpose so he doesn't have to be the one to do this. At some point along the line he's going to have to be a part of discussions like this.

"I'd suspected for a while and I knew as soon as you started to pull away from us that it's only right when all three of us are together." She chooses to focus on his shoulder and the seam of the sleeve on his shirt. It's better than looking at his face, she's sure she's about to be the same colour as her hair. Riku only holds her hands tighter. "I know what my parents views are and I have a feeling yours are very similar… but not everyone on this Island has a problem with two men or two women to live together… and I'm pretty sure no one will notice if it's the three of us." His head snaps up at that.

"You mean we should live together?"

Kairi shakes her head, cheeks flaming red. "Not yet. I just think no one would see it as anything out of the ordinary - not if it's the three of us." She chances a quick look at him and is pleased by the expression in his eyes. _Waiting. _"And neither do me and Sora. I can't imagine my life without you and him - can't imagine not being with each of you for the rest of my life and I don't see why we should have to."

"Kairi."

"You say that a lot." and she's looking at him properly now, knowing the heat in her cheeks has cooled.

"I don't know what to say." But he holds her hands tighter.

"You could say you agree with us."

"I do." She smiling and he lets go of her hands. "I wish Sora would hurry up." Kairi giggles as Riku's hands move to cup her face, damp strands of hair are cool against his hands but he doesn't seem to mind enough to move them out of the way.

"He'll just have to wait." She breathes and he's moving his legs to be kneeling in front of her with noses almost touching. Riku moves with more confidence than before and presses his lips to hers in a kiss. It's Kairi that tilts her head this time, parting her lips a little and guiding him to do the same. She kisses him with an _almost_ well practiced ease but at the same time it's new and exhilarating. He notices that she's shifted around to be on her knees and her arms are wrapped around him.

They part slightly, breathing a little faster than they would like and Kairi buries her head in Riku's chest.

"You can come join in if you want." Riku says, speaking to the young man stood mouth half open and gaping at his two best friends at the bottom of the stairs. Kairi's peaking at him from her position and rolls her eyes.

Sora half nods then runs to them, tacking them down to the ground, the luckily soft and padded ground.

* * *

For a while all Kairi is aware of are two mouths that take their turn with her's and each others and hands that roam and touch and_ feel_. Riku has abandoned his uncertainty and is learning pretty quickly. There's a lot of rolling around and right now Riku is on her left and Sora her right, both half leaning on her. Riku's hand is roaming Sora's back and his head is burrowed against her neck.

She hums in contentment as Sora kisses her, slow and softly and Kairi know's he's tempering the pace. Riku seems to be doing the same, lips brushing her neck and making her eyes flutter but nothing like his behaviour only a few moments ago.

They don't really move away but they seem to settle down, arms interlinked and wrapped around each other. Kairi is glad for the air con other wise she's sure she'd need to head back to the shower. Sora settles himself against her chest and she laughs, his brown spikes shaking as she does.

"Does he always do that?" Riku asks, half whispering but not really, into Kairi's ear.

"Yes." They both answer in unison. "It's comfy." Adds Sora, poking Riku in the arm.

"I think I'll stay where I am thanks." Kairi laughs knowing exactly where the silver haired boy's line of sight is.

They settle for a while, a new kind of peace settling over and around them. Kairi's hands are playing with Sora's hair and her other arm is around Riku.

"Thank you." Riku says, speaking to them both and Kairi can see his and Sora's arms tightly held together, both boys suddenly holding her a little more securely, each around her waist with fingers curling at her sides.

"For what?" Sora asks nuzzling Kairi's chest and looking upwards to look at Riku properly.

"For letting me in." He tells them. Kairi kisses his hair, something familiar from her other and the first and only sign of Naminé over the past couple of days. But he's not surprised, those sleeping within his friends hearts do tend to keep out of these sorts of things but Riku know's he can talk to her later, perhaps tonight if she's willing.

"It's more like fixing things Riku." Sora says rubbing his hand up and down his back.

"Hmm." Kairi makes a sound of agreement, holding both of her boys close to her and watching them do the same. They don't say anything more about it and Kairi is content that Riku understands what she and Sora want, he's not going anywhere.

"So… what do we do now?" Riku asks them.

"Now now now? or now we're all together?" Sora poses a question in return. His and Riku's legs slip in between Kairi's and she makes a sound of contentment.

"More now now Sora." Riku chuckles.

"We could stay here for a while, eat, watch a movie… I don't really feel like moving."

"I agree with Sora, we can head to the Play Island tomorrow, it'll be too crowded today and we won't have it to ourselves." She moves and kisses Riku on the nose, for no other reason than she can and she wants to.

"Alright." Is all Riku says in response and he breathes in and out slowly, making sure to mark this in his memory. They balance each other perfectly in such a way that had become so familiar to him he'd forgotten it was there, like a favourite perfume or scent used so much it blends into the back ground. Now he knows it'll be the loss of this that would become more noticeable and he's keenly aware that neither of the three of them will stand by and let it happen.

* * *

Any comments, constructive criticism are welcome and very much appreciated.


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